Window operator



Dec. 4, 1945. A. RAPPL ET AL 2,390,271

WINDOW OPERATOR Original Filed Sept. 17, 1940 INVENTORS 7 4/V70/V Q4/ 1 1 4ND f/QwAY/ C. HUIQTU/V a v @Ld.

ATT N EYS Patented Dec. 4, 1945 2,390,271 wnvnow oraaa'roa Anton Rappi, Buiialo, and Erwin Y., assignors to Trico Products Hamburg, N.

Horton,

Corporation, Buflalo, N. Y.

Original application September 17, 1940, Serial No. 357,140. Divided and this application September 10, 1941, Serial No. 410,287 v 3 Claims. (01. 2965- -44) This invention, which is a division of our copending application Serial No. 357,140, relates to a mounting for the windows of motor vehicles and is applicable to other types of sliding clo-' suresjsuch as doors. The windows of automobiles are not all of standard shape and dimension, some having their upper or vertical edges cut on a bias to conform to the streamlined shape of the vehicle body. This bias has the disadvantage of reducing the extent of engagement of one vertical edge or the window in its guiding channel. Consequently the glass has a tendency to cant and bind in its guiding support.

The object of the present invention is to provide a window or closure mounting which will be eiiicientand free from binding action. The invention further has for its object to provide a guiding support for the window which support can be practically disposed within the lower curved portion 01' the usual automobile door to increase the effective support for the relatively short vertical edge portion of a bias cut glass panel.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a phantom view of a portion of an automobile body showing the present invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the 7 lower 'portion of the door showing the window guiding support in its lower position;

Fig. 3 is a-similar view through the medial portion of the door depicting the guiding support in its elevated position; and

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view about on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved mechanism has been depicted, for the sake of illustration, in connection with the vertically-sliding type of window which term is inclusive of doors and other sliding closures having similar mountings. This window is designated by the numeral l which is guided vertically in channel ways 2 and 3, and where the window panel tapers off toward one side, as illustrated in Fig. 1, a bracket part 4 is secured to the carrier or frame 5 for the panel to extend the efiective bearing in the particular guideway.

To insure against the glass tilting or binding in its guideways a bracket armt extends downwardly from the bracket extension 4 and carries a pair of rollers l for running along a fixed track 8. By reason of the contour of the modern motor vehicle, wherein the lower portion of the door curves inwardly, the fixed track 8 is also given a conforming curvature and consequently the bracket arm 6 is provided of resilient material so as to readily yield and follow the track 8 without impairing the guiding and steadying influence thereof on the vertically slidable glass.

.The window glass is elevated by means of a nuid motor, referably one utilizing an air pressure difierential in which the low pressure influence of the intake manifold may be used. As illustrated, the motor co. nprises a cylinder 9 and a piston In. The piston red I l is operatively connected to the window to elevate andlower the same as desired. The connection disclosed em-- bodies a bell crank lever l3 pivoted on a stud I4 carried by a bracket l5, and to this stud is fixed one end of a convolute spring [6 to counterbalance the sash, the opposite end of the spring beingfixed to the sash connected arm of the bell crank. The cylinder is given free pivotal or yielding support on a bracket ll by a short spring leaf I8 which permits the opposite end of the cylinder with its protruding piston rod to swing in a vertical plane for accommodating the arcuate travel of the pivotal connection ll) between the free end of the piston rod and the other arm of the bell crank lever incidental to the sliding motion of the piston. A steadying influence is exerted on the outer end of the cylinder during this swinging movement by a fixed guide finger 20. r

The fluid motor is connected to a source of operating pressure by conduit ii in which. is interposed a pair of valves 22 and 2 3 for controlling the communication through branch conduits 24 and 25 whereby the required pressure differential may be applied to the piston for rocking the bell crank lever I3 to adjust the window vertically in the guideways 2 and 3. o

By reason of the bias cut one vertical edge 28 is reduced in length considerably and therefore there is an increased tendency on the part of the glass panel I to become tilted within the guideways 2 and 3 and produce an objectionable binding. .It is the purpose of the bracket extension 4 to effectively increase the marginal edge portion 26 of the glass panel so as to provide a more substantial guiding support for the panel against becoming canted within its window guideway.

The extent of the guide arm 6 also increases the stabilizing efiect of this guiding support by reason 01 its downward reach into the window well of the vehicle. By reason of its flexible character acflacent preshortened window portion. Consequently the lower portion of the track 8 may extend downwardly into the lowermost portion of the door recess or well so as to give support to the window in all adjustments thereof.

While the foregoing description has been given in detail it is obvious that the principles of the invention herein disclosed may be incorporated in other physical embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention or from the scope defined in the appended claims.

, What is claimed is: a

1. Operating mechanism ,for the-door windows of a motor vehicle having aninwardly curved side wall design, comprising in combination with a vertically slidable window panel having one vertical side shorter than the other, straight guideways for the vertical sides, means for actuating the window panel, a guide carriage, a bracket arm fixed at one end on and depending from adjacent the shorter vertical side of the window and on its free end supporting the carriage, and a fixed track on which the carriage operates, said track being curved substantially to conform to the wall curvature with the straight guideways extending substantially tangentially from the curved track, the depending bracket arm being flexible laterally in the direction of track curvature to move the carriage in. conformity to the curvature thereof.

2. In a motor vehicle windo'w mounting for guiding the window intoancl out of a window well in the wall structure of a motor vehicle, a .pair

of straight channeled rails extending downwardly into the well, a window panel having one vertical side shorter than the other and slidably mounted in the channels of the rails, a bracket connected to the panel adjacent the shorter vertical side thereof and having an arm depending downward- 1y into the well, the wall structure of the vehicle adjacent the lower portion of the well curving inwardly, a curved track fixed adjacent the path of the outer end of the bracket arm and following substantially the curvature of the wall structure in substantially tangential relation to the channeled rails, and track engaging means carried at the outerend ofthe bracket arm and riding upon the track to support the shorter vertical side of the window panel against tilting in the channeled rails, the bracket arm being arranged for flexing laterally to follow the track curvature and being braced against fiexure at right angles -to the curvature whereby to guidingly support the window panel in its sliding movement.

3. In a motor vehicle window mounting for of the outer end of the bracket arm and following substantially the curvature of'the wall structure in substantially tangential relation to the rails,

and track engaging means carried at the outer end of the bracket arm and riding'upon the track to support the shorter vertical side of the window panel against tilting on the rails, the track engaging means being arranged for moving laterally to follow the track curvature during flexing of the bracket arm whereby to guidingly support the window panel in its sliding movement. ANTON RAPPL. ERWIN C. HORTON. 

